$500,000
gift from Commerce School alum to fund interdisciplinary initiatives

College Of Arts
& Sciences And Commerce School Announce Innovative Collaborative
Initiative That Includes New Academic Programs And New Construction

April 4, 2002-- University
President John T. Casteen III, announced today what he called an
unprecedented collaborative venture between the College of Arts
& Sciences and the McIntire School of Commerce that will result
in 100,000 square feet of additional academic space and the creation
of interdisciplinary courses and programs.

For
the past six months, Edward L. Ayers, dean of the College, and Carl
P. Zeithaml, dean of the Commerce School, have been hammering out
the details of a plan that will include trading spaces, sharing
spaces, and building new ones. In the end, each school benefits
from an increased physical plant.

"More
important," Casteen said, "the plan will allow the College
and the Commerce School to strengthen the academic and programmatic
links between them and to better serve their undergraduate and graduate
students.

"I
applaud the vision of our deans, Carl Zeithaml and Ed Ayers, to
create this exciting new model of education," he added. "Their
joint venture reflects on going University-wide discussions that
encourage interdisciplinary initiatives and forward thinking. Their
work -- and their spirit of cooperation -- may well become a leading
example for the rest of the University to follow."

The
Commerce School intends to construct a 100,000-square-foot building
at the far southeast end of the Lawn. It will front on Hospital
Drive and be bordered by Randall and Wilson halls. It will connect
to Rouss Hall  Commerces earlier home  which will
be shared with the College as the primary location of their collaborative
programs. Commerce will integrate Rouss into its new complex and
assume its renovation and maintenance responsibilities. The College
will expand into Monroe Hall, the Commerce Schools home for
the past 27 years.

"Over
the long term, this collaboration promises to transform the experience
of students and faculty in both the McIntire School of Commerce
and the College of Arts and Sciences," Zeithaml said. "We
intend to create an inspirational physical presence and to facilitate
innovation and collaboration among the faculty and students of McIntire
and the College. Both the building and the programs will provide
students with the best education possible and support the facultys
outstanding teaching and research activities." He said that
it is essential that the Commerce School maintains its sense of
place on Central Grounds and that the School continues to incorporate
state-of-the art technologies into any new buildings. "We also
must make it easy for students to take classes across departments
within the University," Zeithaml said. "This exciting
new series of initiatives ensures that McIntire and the University
will continue to build on a foundation of excellence and innovation."

Zeithaml
added that he was pleased to announce a $500,000 gift from 1985
Commerce School alumnus John Griffin, founder and president of Blue
Ridge Capital, to fund development of several interdisciplinary
initiatives. Griffins support reinforces his initial investment
in a fund designed to support faculty efforts to create collaborative
ventures. "The increased integration of the McIntire School
into the University community is a win-win proposition," Griffin
said. "Only good things can come from College and Commerce
students and faculty learning from each other."

The
College and Commerce School faculty are exploring several collaborative
initiatives including:

An
Introduction to Business Course. This course will center
on a multi-part business case study about the development of a
growth enterprise. It will be open to College students interested
in a broad introduction to and understanding of business concepts
and functions and may serve as a prerequisite for admission to
the Commerce School.

Interdisciplinary
Courses. Interdisciplinary projects already under development
include courses in advertising and promotions offered by the Commerce
Schools Marketing Area and the Colleges Media Studies
Department. The Math Department also is working with the Commerce
Schools Finance Area to share and create courses.

Expanded
Enrollment in McIntire Business Institute and the Summer Finance
Institute. This year, the Commerce Schools summer
certificate programs will be open to rising fourth-year students.
If successful, admission may expand to include rising third-year
students. Winter break sessions also are under consideration.

An
interdisciplinary minor in the College. Depending on the
availability of long-term faculty and other resources, the schools
will work together to develop a minor in liberal arts and business
management. This minor, to be offered by the College, would draw
on a combination of Commerce School courses and such College disciplines
as psychology, international relations, media studies, and economics.

These
course offerings and programs will create additional opportunities
for College students to take business-oriented courses, Ayers said.
The arrangement is expected to lift some of the enrollment burden
in the Colleges Department of Economics, which has one of
the highest levels of undergraduate student demand in the College.

"As
undergraduates have come to believe that business courses are key
to landing good jobs in recent years, interest in Commerce and Economics
has surged," he said. "We believe that students who seek
some practical business training to round out their liberal arts
education will find the addition of these interdisciplinary courses
particularly attractive."

The
additional and shared space will facilitate these programs. The
new Commerce School building will enable the School to expand its
offices, state-of-the-art classrooms, and already popular capital
markets and financial trading center. While the School initially
hoped to expand Monroe Hall, the site proved inadequate to support
its current and new programs. With the new site, Commerce will meet
its 125,000-square-feet space requirement, and the College will
gain 21,000 more square feet than expected.

The
Economics Department, now split between Rouss and Wilson halls,
will occupy space in the new South Lawn complex or another suitable
building.

To
serve those working in the new South Lawn and Commerce buildings,
the College and Commerce will contribute to the construction of
a parking structure in the vicinity of Jefferson

Park
and Brandon avenues. Both schools also are interested in the creation
of a student commons area.

The
Commerce School already has begun to raise funds for its new building.
The Colleges South Lawn Project is being funded by a joint
effort of the Universitys Board of Visitors and the College
Foundation.

Contact:
Carol Wood, (434) 924-6189

FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact the Office
of University Relations at (434) 924-7116. Television reporters
should contact the TV News Office at (434) 924-7550.